Camp Holloway Discussion Forum - Research Archive - 11/11/00 to 01/21/10

The Gadsden Purchase
In Response To: Re: Absolut is off my list ()

The land was needed to make a railroad. this article is from a web site.
"In return for this vast territory, the United States gave $15,000,000 and assumed responsibility for paying $3,000,000 in claims of American citizens against the Mexican Government. A large body of public opinion in the United States had opposed the war against Mexico and felt that the Southern republic had been treated badly. The territory desired by Gadsden and his group was then a sort of no man's land, experiencing frequent Indian raids. The United States wanted to make certain "boundary adjustments"; Mexico needed money and wanted a settlement of her Indian claims against the United States; and Gadsden and his friends wanted a route for their railroad. In 1852 Gadsden agreed to pay Santa Anna $10,000,000 for a strip of territory south of the Gila River and lying in what is now southwestern New Mexico and southern Arizona.

Many Americans were not especially proud of the Guadalupe-Hidalgo Treaty and considered the price of the Gadsden Purchase as "conscience money." The Gadsden Purchase has an area of 45,535 square miles and is almost as large as Pennsylvania. This tract of nearly 30,000,000 acres cost Uncle Sam about thirty-three cents an acre. "

Back in the 1950s, along the main road to phoenix, near Mesa, at a place called "Apache Junction" land was selling along the road. (Frontage) for 50 dollars an acre with few takers. (corporals pay was less than 100 dollars a month back then). The entire town consisted of a dog tack a 5 unit motel with a gas station and a few trailers. A bud of mine bought land there (for over 19 months) in lots two acres deep along the road and hung on until the late 1960s. He then made a fortune selling it by the front foot. I guess he should give it back to the original owners because he made money on the deal.
BS
Salute
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The Gadsden Purchase
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